(a) Field
The invention relates to a thin film transistor array panel and a liquid crystal display including the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display is a type of flat panel display that is widely used. A liquid crystal display includes two display panels in which field generating electrodes such as pixel electrodes and a common electrode are disposed, and a liquid crystal layer that is interposed therebetween. The liquid crystal display generates an electric field in the liquid crystal layer by applying a voltage to the field generating electrodes, thereby determining a direction of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer and displaying an image by controlling polarization of incident light.
Among liquid crystal displays, a vertically aligned mode liquid crystal display, in which liquid crystal molecules are aligned so that long axes thereof are perpendicular to the upper and lower display panels while the electric field is not applied, has advantages of a relatively large contrast ratio and wide reference viewing angle.
In the vertical alignment (“VA”) mode liquid crystal display, to obtain the wide viewing angle, a plurality of domains in which the alignment directions of the liquid crystal molecules are different, may be formed in one pixel.
For forming the plurality of domains in one pixel of the liquid crystal display, methods in which a minute slit or a cutout is defined in the field generating electrodes or a protrusion is disposed on the field generating electrodes have been proposed. In these methods, the plurality of domains may be formed by aligning the liquid crystal molecules vertically with respect to a fringe field generated between the edges of the cutout or the protrusion, and the field generating electrodes facing the edges.
However, the wide viewing angle may not be sufficiently obtained through these methods.